Measuring the ecological footprint of university students within the framework of sustainability

Today, the increase in the human population, the unconscious consumption of our resources and industrialization, human pressure on the environment and the environmental problems that arise as a result of this disrupt the balance of the environment and reveal that people need to rethink their lives and consumption habits and establish environmental management practices. In this context, the ecological footprint is an environmental education tool that is quite effective in providing people with a sustainable consumer identity by showing the intensity of human pressure on the environment. From this point of view, this study aims to measure the ecological footprint awareness of students continuing their higher education at Balıkesir University within the framework of sustainability. The universe of the study consists of students continuing their higher education at Balıkesir University, and the sample consists of 558 students studying in 2023-2024. Personal information form and Ecological Footprint Calculation Scale were used in the study. The data were analyzed with the SPSS package program. The Ecological Footprint Calculation Scale used in the study consists of 5 dimensions: food, energy, water consumption, transportation and shelter, and waste. In the study results, it was determined that the participants' awareness of the ecological footprint was highest in the energy sub-dimension. In addition, it was determined that female students had more ecological footprint awareness than male students.